Memorial Day

Yesterday I watched the opening ceremonies of the WWII monument on the Mall in D.C. I cried a lot until Bush spoke and then I got as mad as hell. I cannot control those feelings.

All of the WWII vets in my family are long dead. To me they truly were a great generation. It is so sad that the freedom they fought for no longer exists in the US.

No longer can our children play outside, ride bikes when ever and where ever they want to just to feel the wind in their hair. The freedom I had as a child to roam and explore has long been gone for the children in the US.

In the States homes are like armed fortresses. Burglar alarms on every home with signs in the yard to warn of the alarm. Car alarms always going off yet car theft is a crime that continues at an ever increasing rate.

Since the Oklahoma City Bombing of the Muhr Building the federal employees have known they where a target. Since 9/11 our country has been locked up tight as a drum, we are not longer free to travel or enter buildings or National Parks we as citizens own. Without going through metal detectors, background checks, anonymous and floating search warrants rule the day.

Our own Attorney general is out to get us instead of upholding the Constitution of the United States.

I will recall my older brother, who did not die in the war, but was killed at age 29 near his home. He was a dedicated soldier a few years before and he believed in the policies of his government with the idealism still carried by many Americans since WWII.
Also my Grandfather, who went to Paris in WWI.

My Uncle Bill was in the Army in WWI and was gassed in France. He was blind for some time and gave credit to being able to see to a French eye surgeon. Uncle Bill was from Wyoming and a life long GOP but I have to wonder how he would have dealt with our neglect of the French position in the run up to the Iraq war.

Would he have marched to the tune of his chosen poetical party or would he have stood up and countered with his respect for the French?

A few years ago I had the unhappy duty of going out to Indiana to see to my father's burial. He fought in the Merchant Marine during WWII and in the army during Korea and Vietnam.

It was a small service as Dad had requested, and my family and I were ill at ease because we didn't really know any of my father's friends (we weren't close - a long story). Then his comrades from the local VFW showed up, introduced themselves and went into action. I whispered to my wife "the Marines have landed."

They were almost all older men, men who had fought in WWII and now had become all too proficient at burying their friends. Later, at the grave side, there was "Taps", a rifle salute, and the folding of the flag that draped his coffin.

That's how I'm remembering.

Oh George that is so nice. I have my dad's flag too. One of the things the military does so well.

No matter what these guys care for each other.

I neglected to mention my wife's father, who was in the Army Air force. One hell of a good man. He died way before his time, though not from a war related cause.

I will remember my friends,killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I will remember my dad,who dissapeared and is listed as KIA in Vietnam.
I will remember all the people killed in all of the conflicts we have been in.
I personally find it insulting that Memorial day has become better known as the day everybody has sales on everything.Tire sales,furniture sales,etc.
Most people if asked,probably dont know what memorial day is for.I find that sad.

SOURCE

Well, Kentucky seems to be the only former Conferation State without celebrating Confederate Memorial Day:Mississippi: Last Monday in April, Alabama: Fourth Monday in April, Georgia: April 26, North Carolina: May 10, South Carolina: May 10, Louisiana: June 3, Tennessee (Confederate Decoration Day): June 3, Texas (Confederate Heroes Day): January 19, Virginia: Last Monday in May

Mysteryman my mother always said they should never have changed the name from Armistice Day. She remembered the end of WWI!

Definition of Armistice: [French, from New Latin armistitium : Latin arma, arms; see arm2 + Latin -stitium, a stopping; see st - in Indo-European Roots.]

Armistice \Ar"mis*tice\, n. F. armistice, fr. (an assumed word) L. amistitium; arma arms + stare, statum (combining form, -stitum), to stand still.] A cessation of arms for a short time, by convention; a temporary suspension of hostilities by greement; a truce. Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

Armistice n : a state of peace agreed to between opponents so they can discuss peace terms [syn: cease-fire, truce] Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University

Great link Walter how does Germany celebrate or honer their war dead?

Since 1948 we don't honour only our deads but all dead soldiers and victims of voilences on the so-called "Volkstrauertag" (literally: 'people's mourning day'), which is celebrated the second sunday before the first advent sunday (in November). (Before 1933, it has been the 5th Sunday before Easter, "Reminiscere". Between 1933 and 1945 this day had the unfortunate name "Hero's Memorial Day", forgetting all the other victims, especially those in other countries.)

Walter I would suspect many of us forget about all of the soldiers once we take arms against any perceived enemy. I would love to believe that the French, the German's, the Japanese, the Korean's, the Chinese, the Canadians, the Aussies, etc., remember the past and the eventual futility of all war.

Well, as said, since 1948 we do such [e.g. celebrations are on cemetaries for foreign soldiers] - and did so before 1933 as well (I have to admit: the idea was the same, I doubt, all did so about 1930).

Canada: http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/monuments/

A Tribute to the Great War, WWI in Ireland: http://users.tibus.com/the-great-war/

Cyndi's List: http://www.cyndislist.com/milres.htm

Australia: http://members.westnet.com.au/busgen/capel.html
Locations of Cemeteries and Memorials listed by country

List of Memorials and Cemeteries by Country: http://www.nzafmp.org/cemeteries.htm

I'm remembering by remembering my uncle, who guarded the Panama Canal during WWII. And remembering my 2 cousins who went to Viet Nam. And my father and father-in-law who served in the US during the Korean War. And hoping that my nephew never has to go to war.

jespah,
I have,and I pray that your nephew only experiences the fear,horror,and chaos by watching a bad war movie.
I pray that nobody ever has to go to war.

when the battle of the atlantic is remembered by the canadian navy and merchant marine, german veterans have been invited to participate for a number of years now. there are usually articles in the local newspapers reporting on the meetings of former combatants. apparently they all get along very well now. i think that's an encouraging sign. hbg

I feel 'lucky' that, except WW II, we were 'spared' from a lot of great wars (WW I, Vietnam War). What I find interesting, is that in the US, soldiers are honored very much. Here, you have of course the 4th of May, when we honor our war dead (especially the 250,000 Dutch who died in WW II, of whom only a mere 25,000 soldiers, if I recall correctly), and the 5th of May, when we celebrate our liberation and freedom (on the 5th of May 1945, the Netherlands was officially liberated). The most of the honoring goes to the Dutch civilians who died, with also attention for the Dutch soldiers who died in the late '40's in Indonesia (although this is part of our imperialistic history, we don't want to be reminded of that too much), and the couple of hundreds of Dutch soldiers who died in Korea, Lebanon, Bosnia (and now also Iraq) etc.

What I also finds interesting is that because of the great many wars the US was engaged in (no hard feelings here though) in the 20th century (WW I and WW II, Korea War, Vietnam War, Gulf Wars) a lot of American families have war casualties in their families, who died as soldiers. I frankly don't know anyone here who have (a) familymember(s) who died as soldiers in a war.